Kris Karlsson
Kristian "Kris" Karlsson (Born May 26, 1980) is a Norwegien-born professional wrestler, currently under contract with World Elite Wrestling. Karlsson is also a former wrestling trainer and underground street fighter. Early Life Karlsson was born in Vinstra, Norway on May 26, 1980. His father Erik Karlsson was a fisherman and his mother, Lena Karlsson, a housewife. The family immigrated to America in 1983, just before Kris' 3rd birthday. Initially, the family moved to Port Clinton, Ohio, where his father made a living in the fishing industry. Kris attended Bataan Memorial Elementery and Port Clinton High School during his time in the town. Karlsson performed for the Port Clinton Redskins and was named first-team ALL-ACC in his senior year. However, Kris took the decision to pursue wrestling instead of football. On May 12, 2001- only two weeks before Kris' 21st brithday - both his parents were killed in a house fire at their home in Port Clinton. The incident prompted Karlsson to move away from Port Clinton, to Mesa, Arizona. There he joined Impact Zone Wrestling school. Impact Zone Wrestling School (2001 - 2003) During his time with Impact Zone Wrestling, Karlsson trained with some well-known names in the industry, including Frankie Kazarian, Mike Knox, Joey Ryan, The Hardy Boys and Rey Mysterio Snr. It had become apparent that Kris wasn't much of a talker and struggled with his microphone work. When asked about his issues during an interview with school owner Jeff Jackson, Karlsson cited the death of his parents as the reasons for his issues with public speaking. Independent Circuits (2003 - 2006) In October 2003, Karlsson broke into the independent scene as a trainer to performers. His in-ring work was described as "flawless", however his inability to cut a traditional promo had caused great concern to promoters, at least as far as becoming an active wrestler was concerned. This resulted in several years of employment behind-the-scenes. Karlsson's first role took him to Sports Entertainment Enterprise (SEE) where he would train with some of the greatest names in professional wrestling. Brad Fox, Brandon Hawke, Nathan Carter, Nefarious, Justin Peace, Ambika Renton, Scott Lopez and Markus Rage all trained with Karlsson, until the promotion closed its doors in 2004. Kris immediately joined DeathCore Wrestling and took up the role of trainer with the small outfit, based in Albany, NY. Many of the faces and names he trained with in SEE were contracted with DeathCore, along with some other big names including Drake Solace, Jayden Gabriel and Damien Quinn. In June 2006, Karlsson left DeathCore and wrestling behind to start a family with his (now ex) wife Claire Karlsson (nee Brookes). On February 21, 2008, Claire gave birth to the couple's first and only child - Lars Erik Karlsson. On December 2, 2009, Claire files for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences between the two. The couple settled amicably outside of court and officially divorced on January 25, 2010. Underground Fighting (2010 - 2013) Following the break up of his marriage, Karlsson returned to fighting, this time in a much more violent, volatile capacity. The Norwegien native would regularly participate in bare-knuckle street fights, which would take place in the form of tournaments throughout America. Karlsson boasts an undefeated record of 56-0-0. World Elite Wrestling (2013 - Present) During a fight in Chicago, Karlsson was approached by Ambika Renton, a former colleague during his time in SEE. The Grecian talked with Kris about her career now and where she is. This prompted Karlsson to get in touch with the owners at WEW, who presented him with a contract. He wrestles under his own name. His microphone skills have improved dramatically now and Karlsson takes advantage of his public speaking abilities. He regularly participates in political rallies and protests against corporations throughout America, in a bid to wake people up to how corrupt the system is.